


Love is Friendship Set on Fire

by AngelofShadows



Series: All That Glitters [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Because in the Yeehaw AUs Shiro is the eternal pillow princess, Bottom Shiro (Voltron), Drunken Confessions, Farmer Keith (Voltron), Keith is the level headed one for once, Keith's dick is purple and his come is liquid glitter, Kinkade (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Kinkade is a Mess, Kinkade is a secret Disaster Gay, M/M, Med Student Kinkade, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining Kinkade (Voltron), Porn with Feelings, Rowdy AU, Shiro is a precious angel, Spitroasting, Stripper Kinkade, Stripper Shiro (Voltron), Yeehaw AU, hey I don't make the rules, the trifecta of fanfic tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 20:17:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16002533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelofShadows/pseuds/AngelofShadows
Summary: Ryan Kinkade has a problem. All he and Shiro were supposed to be was friends with benefits. Emotions were never supposed to come into play. But they did, and Ryan is scared, so he’d said nothing. Now Shiro is getting married to an amazing man and Ryan has to grin and bear it. At least Keith is nice. And handsome. And charming. And an incredibly good man. Did he mention he’s also devastatingly hot?Shit, now he has two problems. And they’re married to each other.





	Love is Friendship Set on Fire

**Author's Note:**

  * For [buffshiro](https://archiveofourown.org/users/buffshiro/gifts).



> I never thought I’d be writing for someone else’s AU, but then along came the Yeehaw AU and all the various spin-offs including this delicious OT3, so here I am. Have some Sheithade with Pining Disaster Gay Kinkade for the soul.  
> Original AU belongs to tofuloo/buffshiro.

Ryan can remember with perfect clarity how all of this began. He remembers the day he first came to work for Atlas and Ryan is not ashamed to admit he stared at Shiro’s ass the entire time he was on stage that first night. He was insanely attractive and, once he actually talked to the guy, he discovered the veteran also had a heart of gold.

They became friends, so quickly that Ryan had a bit of whiplash. He wasn’t used to getting along with people, still isn’t, really, but with Shiro, it had been so easy. It’s always been easy with him.

Falling into bed together was almost an accident. One night in their shared dressing room Shiro had groaned and said he missed getting fucked, and Ryan had offered, and the next thing either of them knew, Shiro was bent over the dresser and Ryan was pushing inside him. He’d found glitter in his pubes for weeks afterwards.

No strings attached. It had been Ryan who’d set up that guideline. Their only guideline. They’d take the edge off for each other because they were attracted to each other and they were friends, but under no circumstances were feelings involved. It would ruin their relationship.

So of course, Karma would dictate that it was Ryan who fell in love. He’s still not sure how he let it happen, but one day as he was watching Shiro sleep after an afternoon spent in his bed, he realized he was indeed falling in love with his best friend.

He tried to ignore it. For months he kept telling himself it would go away, that it was only because he was closer to Shiro than he was to almost anyone and that he was a _fantastic_ lay besides. But Ryan’s never been good at lying to himself.

Later, he kept saying. He’ll tell Shiro later. He has to find the right time. Set something up, make it feel special, because Shiro deserved nothing less. Later. It was always “later”.

Later came too late, because one sleepy night in October, Keith Kogane was dragged into their club by his friends, and Shiro fell fast and hard.

At first it just seemed to be an intense attraction, a pretty boy who got Shiro flustered and he’d get Ryan to fuck him nice and hard after every visit from the farmer. Ryan could handle that, in fact he rather enjoyed it. He thought nothing of the attraction and held onto his mantra of “later”.

Until Shiro sat him down one night, fidgeting and blushing and not meeting his eyes.

“We have to stop sleeping together.” He’d said quietly, and Ryan’s heart had shot up into his throat.

“Is something wrong?” He’d asked, terrified he’d done something to harm Shiro, but the other man shook his head, smiling a little.

“No, no, I just,” He’d looked up at Ryan with a sheepish little grin. “Keith asked me out. And I just, it wouldn’t feel right, you know?”

“Of course.” He’d said, because what else could he say? He’d been ignoring it for weeks, but he knew Shiro’s feelings were more than just mere attraction. It was his own damn fault for waiting anyway. If he’d just said something to Shiro sooner… but there was no point in regretting it now.

“Still my best friend?” Shiro had asked quietly, and Ryan had melted, reaching out and tugging the man into his arms.

“Don’t be stupid, Shiro. Of course I am.” He’d murmured. Shiro’s friendship was worth more to him than anything else.

So he let him go. He watched as Shiro and Keith’s relationship bloomed and couldn’t deny the half-Galra farmer was good for Shiro. He treated him like royalty and Ryan has watched the man punch many a handsy customer. Hell, he’d even punched a man who’d slapped _Ryan’s_ ass one too many times.

Chivalrous to a fault, sweet as can be, and he makes Shiro happy. And Ryan, Ryan does genuinely like him. He has no one to blame but himself for missing his chance, and tries to erase his feelings for Shiro, but god, it’s hard. He tries, though, for them.

Though it is especially hard today.

Ryan blinks down at Shiro’s hand. The ring is beautiful. A rose-gold band with a gleaming moonstone and two tiny diamonds on either side.

“Keith proposed?” He asks stupidly. He knew it was coming. He knew when Keith cornered him a few days ago and asked him to keep Shiro busy for the day. But it’s still a shock, somehow. It shouldn’t be. The two of them have been dating for three years, and living together for two, but, somehow, Ryan never thought this would happen.

Shiro giggles and cradles the ring against his chest. “Yeah.” He sighs, looking completely blissed out. “It was perfect, Ry. He cooked all my favorites and we went for a night walk and he proposed up on that little hill overlooking the whole farm. And he made love to me under the stars.” He sighs again, smile widening into a big, dopey grin.

Ryan smiles a little. He’s used to Shiro telling him about his and Keith’s sex life so that doesn’t sting like it used to. Honestly? None of this stings. Is he still hopelessly in love with Takashi Shirogane? Of course he is. But he also knows that Keith makes Shiro happier than he’s ever been, and he’s become friends with Shiro’s now-fiancé. He can’t not be happy for them both, even if it hurts.

“I’m really happy for you, Shiro.” He says quietly. “Both of you.”

Shiro drags him into a fierce hug and nuzzles against his shoulder. “Thanks, Ry.”

He endures Shiro babbling to him about wedding plans for months. He gets dragged all over creation looking at different outfits for the Big Day and nearly gets a very cartoonish nosebleed when Shiro takes him shopping for lingerie to wear on the wedding night. Fuck he’d missed the sight of Shiro trussed up in lace.

One night, after Shiro finally decides he’s going to wear a wedding kimono, he settles down with Ryan in his and Keith’s living room. Keith is already asleep seeing as he has to wake up at an ungodly hour to tend to the animals, and they’d offered to let Ryan stay the night because they _might_ have been drinking. A bit.

“Ryan,” Shiro murmurs.

“Hm?”

“Wanna ask you something important.”

He tilts his head down to look at Shiro, who’s got his head pillowed in Ryan’s lap. “Yeah?”

Shiro turns onto his back and gazes up at him, surprisingly lucid for the amount of alcohol they’d consumed. “I want you to be my best man.” He says firmly.

Ryan’s breath hitches and the hand he’d been using to comb through Shiro’s soft white hair stills. “Yeah?” He asks again.

“Yeah,” Shiro sighs and reaches up to pat Ryan’s face. “You and Keith are the two most important people in my life. I want you to be up there with me. Will you be? Please?”

Ryan huffs a breath and cradles Shiro’s hand against his face. “I can’t say no to you, Takashi.” He murmurs, and kisses Shiro’s palm.

Thankfully Shiro doesn’t seem to remember much of that night the next day, aside from the fact that he’d asked.

“What did you say? You said yes, right?” He says, staring at him with wide eyes when they’re getting ready for their sets.

“Yeah, Shiro, of course I did.”

Shiro beams at him and pulls him in for a warm hug. “Thank you, Ryan.”

He plans Shiro the best bachelor party ever, in his opinion. No strippers, sadly (aside from the other guys from the club), but there is lots of drinking and, okay, yes, stripping (that’s what they do, after all), but it’s all in good fun. He even helps Lance and Hunk out with Keith’s party by suggesting they hire Shiro for it and not tell either man. Shiro texts him the next day with a very heavily misspelled thank you message.

The wedding happens one cool evening in April, and it’s absolutely beautiful. It’s a small ceremony, held on the farm, but it fits the two men well. Ryan feels only a small pang when the minister pronounces them as husbands, but it’s swallowed up by just how genuinely _happy_ he is for his best friend. He loves Shiro, yes, which is why he wants him to be happy above all else.

That evening as the wedding goers dance the night away, Shiro steals him for one, and he sets his cheek on Ryan’s shoulder, and just for a second, he can pretend things went a little differently.

“Thank you, Ry. You helped make this the best day of my life.” He murmurs.

“You deserve all the happiness in the world, Shiro.” He murmurs back, and he means it.

Later that night, he’s one of the many guests who pelt the newly-weds with rice as they run for the car that will take them to the airport.

“Get that dick, Shirogane!” He yells, and grins when Shiro flips him off.

He may be madly in love with a now married man, who is his best friend, the famed “one who got away”, but he’ll grin and bear it. He loves him enough to admit that even this makes him happy. He will live, as long as Shiro is content.

(At least, he tries to convince himself that’s enough)

~*~

The town gets noisy as hell on the weekends, especially in his neighborhood. It makes it impossible to study and Ryan is tearing his hair out trying to concentrate because god dammit he has a huge test next week.

“Come out to the farm.” Shiro tells him. “It’s super quiet and Keith is usually out with the animals and I mean I’m usually asleep until late, but no one would bother you and you could actually get work done.”

Dammit all, Ryan accepts. He can’t think of anything else to do.

The farm is very quiet. Peaceful, even. Shiro sleeps for most of the morning and Ryan is okay with that, he just sets himself down on the sofa and spreads his papers all over the coffee table, finally managing to take in what the textbook is saying.

Keith comes in a little while later, hanging his hat on a hook by the door and wandering over, hands shoved in his jeans pockets.

“Hungry?” He asks quietly, and Ryan suddenly remembers he hasn’t eaten since last night.

“I’ll be fine,” he says, because he doesn’t want to impose, but then his stomach growls and Keith grins at him.

“I’ll make ya something before I head back out.”

“Keith, you don’t have to.”

“But I’m gonna.” Keith winks then ambles into the kitchen.

Several minutes later, Ryan is drawn into the kitchen by the smell of frying bacon and baking biscuits. Keith fixes him a heaping plate and Ryan scarfs it down unapologetically. Considering all he ever has time for is some microwaved shit, he feels like he’s in heaven.

“There’s more on the counter if you want, just be sure to save some for Shiro.” Keith pats his shoulder then heads back out.

This becomes habit. Every weekend Ryan heads out to the farm to study for the upcoming week, and every time Shiro sleeps the day away and Keith cooks for him. He ends up spending a lot of time with his best friend’s husband, enough that he can say they’re real friends now.Not that they weren’t before, but now it feels more concrete, like he actually knows the other man as more than “Shiro’s husband”.

It makes him feel even guiltier that he’s in love with Keith’s _husband_ but at the same time, he feels better about the fact that they’re together. They really do deserve each other.

Apparently, Keith feels closer to him to, as he demonstrates one night when he comes to collect Shiro from the club after his shift.

“Hey, sweet tea,” Keith murmurs and pulls Shiro in for a kiss. “Good night?”

Shiro hums and leans against his husband. “Yeah. Long, though. I just wanna go home and crawl into bed.”

“That can be arranged.” Keith looks down at where Ryan is sprawled on the tiny couch in their dressing room. “You alive, Kinkade?”

Ryan groans. “I’m fine. I’ll head home as soon as I feel like I won’t fall asleep on my way there.”

Keith frowns. “You’re both dog-tired. Look, why don’t you just come back to the farm with us? It’s Friday, and you usually spend the weekend at our place anyway. I can drive you back up here tomorrow to get your car.”

“Keith, no, I couldn’t impose on you guys like that.” He protests but is interrupted by a yawn.

“You ain’t imposing if I’m offering, now come on, get your shit.”

Ryan decides he’s too worn out to argue, so he grabs his backpack and heads for the door, following behind Keith and Shiro as they head to Keith’s truck. He crawls in the back and promptly passed out for the forty-five-minute drive. He wakes when Keith shakes him, and he stumbles into the house after them. Keith sets him up on the sofa where he passes out again.

He finds himself awake in the wee hours of the morning. It’s just barely light enough to see. Ryan tilts his head and sees Keith sitting in the armchair next to the sofa with a coffee cup in one hand, book in the other. He’s not even dressed yet, he must have just woken up himself. He glances up and smiles when he sees Ryan.

“Go back to sleep, Ry. It’s early yet.” He murmurs.

“You take good care of us.” He sighs, closing his eyes again. “’M glad that if Shiro had to get married, that it was to you.”

Silence, and then long slim fingers comb through his dreads carefully. “I’m glad you think so.” Keith whispers. “Sleep, Ryan.”

He does.

When he wakes again, Keith is gone, but in his place is a plate full of cheese danishes. They’re still warm.

Ryan grins and devours the whole plate.

~*~

He discovers he’s spending more and more time with Keith. The man will insist on taking Ryan home after long shifts (either his apartment or Keith and Shiro’s home and he never knows which one Keith means until they’re already there) and makes him food because god knows Ryan has no time to cook and stays up drinking with him and Shiro and he realizes one night that he and Keith are real proper friends now. Not just “you married my best friend and I think you’re cool” kind of friends, but “I genuinely enjoy your company separately from Shiro” kind of friends.

That should be good, right? And It is good. He feels a little better about Shiro being married to Keith. He feels exceedingly shitty about being in love with Keith’s husband, but he also weirdly feels better about it as well.

He finds out why _exactly_ he no longer feels pained about Shiro being married to another man one night when he’s actually in his own apartment for once and can’t sleep. He decides the best course of action is to jerk off, because why the hell not? He hasn’t gotten off in a while, and he stopped sleeping with random people several months ago. It never felt like it was enough. So he thinks maybe a good orgasm will tire him out.

He wraps a hand around his cock and closes his eyes, picturing Shiro (who else) in that red lacy lingerie he’d worn for Ryan multiple times. He knows Shiro still has it. He wonders if he’s ever worn that outfit for Keith?

Suddenly, he can picture it. The two of them making out on their large bed, Shiro done up in red lace and glitter, gasping and writhing as Keith tugs the panties out of the way, rubbing at his tight hole. Maybe Shiro had worn one of his plugs so he’d be nice and ready. He’s always impatient to be fucked.

He pictures Keith leaning over Shiro, biting at his throat with those sharp canines of his as he sinks in. What does Keith’s dick look like? Shiro always said that his Galra heritage made their sex life “different in the best possible way” but, how?

Ryan spends so much time fantasizing about Keith’s dick he comes without realizing it.

Did… did he really just get off to Keith’s hypothetical dick? What the fuck? Why would-

Wait.

Ryan’s eyes go wide and he sits up. “Holy shit when did I fall in love with Keith too?”

Well, he feels like the scum of the Earth. Not only is he in love with his married best friend, but some time in the past year, he’d fallen in love with his best friend’s _husband_ as well. Who is also now his very close friend. Does he not know how to just have friends anymore? To be fair both Keith and Shiro are stupidly hot, especially together, so it’s no great surprise that he thinks about them getting it on when he jerks off but, still. Being in love with two married people is just sad.

He feels guilty whenever he’s around them now. He feels like a homewrecker whenever they have him over. He feels like a liar whenever they call him a good friend.

He is in love with two men who are hopelessly in love with each other. He seems to be destined for heartbreak.

~*~

One night while they’re between sets, Ryan casually mentions that he’s finally starting his residency the following week.

Shiro stares at his best friend, mouth agape, for several long moments, before he grins and sweeps the other man into a crushing hug.

“Oh my god! Ryan! That’s incredible!”

Ryan huffs and pats his back but when Shiro pulls away, the other man is smiling. “Yeah, well.”

“This is huge! Oh my god, you, you have to come out to the house so we can celebrate! We can get a night off and go bar hopping and Keith can drive us home and then we can drink _more_ booze at the house and it will be fantastic!”

Ryan gives him a fond but exasperated look, and Shiro sobers a bit. “But, only if you want to, of course.” He says sheepishly.

“Sounds great, Shiro. But maybe don’t volunteer your husband to be our DD without asking?”

Shiro waves a hand, grinning. “Nah, he always is. It takes a hell of a lot to get a Galra drunk, especially on Earth alcohol, so even if he matches us drink for drink, he’ll still be pretty fucking sober.”

“Suddenly I wish I was half Galra.” Ryan teases, and then Shiro’s called back to the stage.

When Keith picks him (them) up that night, Shiro gushes to him about Ryan’s news and their plans and his husband grins.

“Congrats, Ry. I know you’ve been working yer ass off to get to this point, so we’re proud of ya.”

Ryan huffs and crosses his arms, and is it Shiro, or does his dark complexion go a little darker at the praise? “Thanks, cowboy.”

“I’ll be happy to tote your drunk asses around, so long as those asses stay _clothed_ at the bars. Once we’re home, strip away, but my one rule is that ya’ll stay at least semi-decent in public, ya hear?”

Shiro rolls his eyes and leans over to press a kiss to Keith’s scarred cheek. “Yes, baby.”

“Fair enough.” Ryan says around a yawn.

The next Friday, Shiro manages to get them the night off and they hit every bar in the city. And yes, he gets… pretty drunk, but Ryan gets absolutely _hammered_. He’d said something about wanting to forget the stress of the last few years and had drained their pitcher of margaritas. Shiro is willing to admit he gets pretty plastered himself, especially when he calls for body shots and lets Keith (of course) and even Ryan do one off him.

At midnight, Keith hauls them both to the truck, claiming that if they stay out any later, his one rule is going to be broken. Ryan is giggling madly in the backseat, wrapping his arms around the driver’s seat and nuzzling the back of Keith’s shoulder.

“You’re the _best_ , Kogane. Like, driving and, stuff.”

“Thank you kindly, Ryan.” Keith says, looking far too amused.

“Bessssst farmer-cowboy-husband.” Ryan slurs, then looks over at Shiro. “And you’re the best stripper-best friend-husband.”

Shiro, who is also very drunk, just giggles.

When they get to the house, Keith dumps them on the sofa with the contents of their alcohol cabinet and then tips his hat.

“I’m off to bed. I still gotta feed the animals in the mornin’. Don’t get too rowdy, and I’ll see ya’ll tomorrow.”

Keith heads off in the direction of their bedroom while he and Ryan keep drinking. Eventually he remembers that if he doesn’t stop drinking, he will despise himself in the morning, so he switches to water around one thirty.  Ryan keeps drinking.

He loves when Ryan gets drunk because he gets so open and honest. He says stupid shit, but also really sappy shit, and it makes Shiro happy when his best friend tells him how much he appreciates having Shiro and Keith in his life.

But tonight, something a little different happens.

At almost three in the morning, Ryan goes quiet. He’d once again been going on about how much he appreciated the two of them doing so much for him and how much he loves being with them in their home and had suddenly stopped talking.

“Ry?” Shiro murmurs. He’s a lot more sober than he was a little while ago, and is now worried Ryan is getting ready to throw up. He wouldn’t be surprised.

Instead, Ryan starts crying.

“Ryan? Hey, hey,” Shiro tugs his best friend against his side as Ryan Kinkade, the “Enigma of Atlas” starts sobbing into his shoulder.

Shiro makes a tiny distressed noise and tries soothing his best friend, to no avail. What on Earth just happened?

“I fucked up.” Ryan croaks eventually. “I fucked up _so bad_.”

“What happened, Ry? Come on, talk to me.”

“I fell in love.” Ryan whispers. “I fell in love with the wrong person.”

Shiro suddenly boils with anger. Who has hurt his best friend so? He’s gonna find them and kill them.

“Why is he the wrong person?” Shiro asks.

“Because he’s my best friend,” Ryan rasps, “and he’s married.”

Shiro stills.

“I fell in love with him before the married part,” Ryan mumbles, “but I was scared. I don’t do feelings well, you know? We were fucking, but it was supposed to be casual. Casual, that was my idea. Stupid, right? But, I fell for him, and I felt like a moron. I kept telling myself I’d bring it up later, that I’d deal with it _later_ because I’d never… I have never felt that way before. You know?”

Ryan leans away from him and tilts his head back onto the sofa. Shiro is still frozen.

“I didn’t want to fuck up our friendship, so I kept saying ‘later’, but then, he met this guy, and I knew. I knew I was too late. And I can’t even really blame him because this guy? He’s amazing. He treats my friend right and they’re stupidly in love and were pining for _months_. It was a story out of some cheesy romance novel, but it was real. And then, then we stopped sleeping together, so he and this great guy could go out, and then they moved in together, and got engaged, and got married. And I had to stay quiet. I had to be there for him, because no matter what, he’s my best friend.”

Ryan closes his eyes and sighs.

“And, I told myself to get the fuck over it. I lost my chance, there was no one to blame but myself. And so I tried to distance myself, but he’s a stubborn son of a bitch. He keeps inviting me over so I have somewhere quiet to work and his husband is always checking on me and feeding me and making sure I don’t exhaust myself even though he’s a total workaholic too. And, we got close, me and my best friend’s husband. And then, I realized I’d fucked up even more, because,” Ryan swallows raggedly. “Because at some point, I fell in love with his husband too.”

Shiro stops breathing.

“I’m in love with my best friend, _and_ my best friend’s husband. I had to fall in love with two people who are already each other’s soulmates. I must have done something truly awful in another life to deserve this. This sweet torture, because I know they love me. They take care of me and worry about me and spend a lot of time with me, so I _know_ they love me.” Ryan’s breath hitches, and another tear slides down his cheek.

“But they don’t love me like I love them. And they never will.”

Thankfully, Ryan falls asleep after that. Shiro remains awake, staring at his best friend for a long, long time. Long enough that Keith comes stumbling through the room on the way to make coffee.

“Darlin’? Are you two really still up?” He teases, walking over to the sofa, but he pauses when he catches sight of Shiro’s face. “What’s the matter?”

Shiro stands and comes around the sofa, grabbing his husband’s wrist and dragging him back to the bedroom. He closes the door and leans against it, breathing heavily, arms trembling.

“Takashi, what’s wrong?”

“Ryan, he,” Shiro takes a deep breath, then turns to Keith.

He slowly tells him all that Ryan had confessed the night before, and as he speaks, Keith’s frown deepens.

“My best friend has been in love with me for almost six years, Keith.” Shiro says finally, sinking down onto their bed and hiding his face in his hands. “And I never had any idea until last night.”

Keith doesn’t say anything, just sits next to Shiro and wraps his arms around him.

“Are you angry with him?” Shiro asks quietly, when Keith still doesn’t speak.

“What? No, no of course not.” Keith assures. “I’m just thinkin’.”

Silence stretches for a while longer.

“I have to talk to him about all of this.” Shiro rasps.

“No.”

Shiro looks up to see his husband wearing a pensive expression. “What? I have to, Keith! I can’t just, _pretend_ this never happened, and neither can you! Ryan is _in love_ with us, and he’s _hurting_. How can I just let that go?”

“Baby, I don’t expect you to let it go.” Keith soothes, cupping Shiro’s cheeks in his hands and kissing the scar across his nose. “And I’m not ignoring it either, but what is confronting him about it now going to do? I have a strong suspicion that if he was drunk enough to tell you all of that, then he ain’t gonna remember telling you. Telling him about his screw up would make him feel like shit. What would talking to him really accomplish, in that case? Aside from making him feel worse than he does already?”

Shiro grits his teeth. Keith is right. It would just make everything worse.

“We will talk to him about it, eventually.” Keith promises. “But you and I have to talk about it first.”

Shiro nods and sighs, leaning against his husband’s sturdy chest. “Okay.”

~*~

Keith tucks Shiro into bed then creeps back out into the living room. He sighs when he sees Ryan slumped at an uncomfortable angle and walks over to lay the other man down onto the sofa.

“Keith?” Ryan mumbles, eyes still closed.

“Sleep.” Keith murmurs. “It’s early yet.”

Ryan sighs, nuzzling against the hand Keith has on his cheek, and drifts off again.

Keith knows the next few weeks or even months are going to be like walking on eggshells around Ryan. He and Shiro really, _really_ have a lot of talking to do, but for now, he tugs their soft green blanket off the back of the sofa and drapes it over Ryan, running his fingers through the man’s dreadlocks carefully before slipping into the kitchen to start his day.

~*~

Ryan regrets his existence before he’s even fully awake. Fuck it’s been a while since he drank that much. He groans weakly and rolls onto his back, blinking up at a familiar ceiling. Ah, so Keith had managed to drag them home after all.

Keith and Shiro’s home. Not his.

He groans again, squinting at the sunlight coming through the large front windows, and wishing himself a swift, merciful death.

“Mornin’, sunshine.” A voice says behind him. He turns his head to see Keith looming over the back of the sofa, staring down at him with amusement in his eyes, arms crossed over his dirty t-shirt.

“Kill me.” Ryan rasps.

Keith snorts and walks towards the kitchen. “You and Shiro are such lightweights.” He calls.

Ryan groans again. That seems to be the majority of his vocabulary at the moment.

“How much of last night do you actually remember?” Keith asks, coming back to the sofa and handing Ryan a steaming cup of coffee that might be more creamer than coffee.

“I vaguely remember Shiro saying something about body shots and then shoving a jello shot into my hand. That’s about it. I don’t even remember coming back here.” He mutters.

Keith nods and sits in his favorite armchair. “I figured as much. The way you were gigglin’ like a loon kinda clued me in.”

“I hope I didn’t break your rule.” He mutters, sipping on his drink.

“Thankfully you did not. Shiro _almost_ did when doing said body shots, but aside from that, it was like herding a couple of over-excited puppies, and I do that a lot anyway.”

Ryan snorts and keeps sipping until Shiro stumbles into the room a few minutes later.

“Ry, you’re up.”

Ryan waves, taking another long drag of coffee. “I feel like death, how are you?” He asks, and Shiro fidgets.

“Pretty out of it.” He admits. “You got more sleep than I did.”

“Hm,” Ryan hums around the rim of his cup. He eyes Shiro’s fidgeting form nervously. “I didn’t say or do anything too terribly stupid, did I?”

Shiro shakes his head and smiles gently. “No more stupid than your usual, buddy.”

“Well. Good.” Ryan very carefully sets his cup down. “And if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go throw up now.”

~*~

The next few weeks are… weird. Ryan can’t figure it out but Shiro is suddenly really careful around him, apologizing for every little dig that usually makes up their friendship. Keith seems fine around him, so he must have done something after the farmer went to bed.

“Do you know what I did?” He asks Keith one night while Shiro is still cleaning up after his set. “Shiro’s acting weird and I hope I didn’t do anything.”

Keith smiles a little sadly. “He told me you broke down crying.”

Ryan winces. “Fuck, about what?”

Keith shakes his head. “It messed him up. He’s so used to seeing you strong, you know? Knowing you’ve got a lot of hurt going on here,” Keith reaches up and taps Ryan’s temple, “and in here,” he taps Ryan’s chest, “it makes him hurt for you. You know how he is.”

“Yeah.” He sighs. But at least he understands now. Even given that, the reaction is still a little more than he expected from Shiro, and he has to wonder if Keith had told him the whole truth. But if he’d said something… _feelings_ related, they would have called him out, so whatever it was must not have been that bad.

He’s proven very, very wrong a few months later.

~*~

“Come over tonight.” Shiro tells him, more serious than Ryan’s ever seen him.

“Okay.” They don’t usually ask. Usually, Keith just kidnaps him. Ryan knows before Keith even shows up that night that something is wrong.

The drive to the Kogane farm is quiet and heavy. Ryan sits stiffly in the back, hands in his lap and fearing the worst.

They get inside and Keith locks up while Shiro leads him over to the sofa. Strangely, Shiro doesn’t join him as he usually does, instead taking up residence in Keith’s armchair. Keith himself just stands next to Shiro, arms crossed.

“What’s going on?” Ryan demands, and Shiro sighs.

“I, wasn’t entirely truthful about what you said and did, that night we got drunk.” He says quietly.

“Keith told me that you saw me break down crying,” Ryan says, hoping that’s the end of it, but Shiro just nods.

“Yeah. You did. That really scared me because you wouldn’t tell me why. At first. Then…” Shiro swallows and looks up at Keith, who nods curtly. Shiro takes a deep breath and looks back at Ryan. “Then you told me that… that you were in love with your ‘best friend’.”

Ryan freezes.

“And, that you have been for a, a while.” Shiro looks down and fidgets with his metal fingers. “And, you also said, that you doubly messed up. Because you fell in love with your best friend’s husband too.”

Silence stretches between the three of them for what feels like a lifetime. Then Ryan crumbles.

He buries his face in his hands, shoulders shaking. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, _shit_ I’m so sorry-”

“Ryan,” Shiro starts but Ryan just shakes his head.

“You were never supposed to- I was supposed to take that shit to my _grave_ , I’m so sorry. I wasn’t ever going to bring it up, I swear, god, Shiro, _Keith_ , god, I’m so sorry, please _please_ don’t hate me.”

“Ryan!” Shiro says louder, and suddenly his shoulders are being held in a vice grip, Shiro kneeling on the floor in front of him. “ _Breathe,_ Ry. You’re hyperventilating.”

“I,” Ryan can’t get enough air in. Shiro’s right, he’s panicking.

“Hey, shh, it’s okay.” Shiro murmurs, cupping his face and tilting it up so he’s staring into Shiro’s shining silver eyes. “Ryan,” He breathes, and then he leans forwards.

It takes him several moments to register the pair of soft lips pressed against his own, but once he does, he melts. He makes an embarrassing choking noise and kisses Shiro for everything he’s worth, gripping the other man’s forearms for balance.

Eventually Shiro pulls away and presses their foreheads together. “Better?”

Ryan blinks at him in stunned silence. “You just kissed me.”

Shiro grins. “Yes, Ryan, how observant of you.”

“You just kissed me, in front of your husband.” Ryan pulls away to look for Keith, and startles at the realization that the other man had at some point come to sit on the other side of him.

“I’m aware.” Keith says, shrugging. “Ry, we’re not mad or upset or whatever it is you’re worried about us being. If we were, we would have said something four months ago when this happened. As it is, we’ve been talking it out.”

Ryan swallows hard. “Talking… _what_ out?”

“This.” Keith gestures between the three of them. “How to move forwards. We can’t just pretend it never happened, you know? That wouldn’t be fair to any of us.”

“So, how do we move forwards?” Ryan asks quietly. “I, I don’t want to lose you guys. I’ll do whatever I have to, I just, you’re both so important to me, I can’t just _lose_ you because of my own damn fuck up.”

“Easy, Ry, you ain’t losing anything.” Keith assures. “We’re here. You’re stuck with us.”

“You should know that. I’ve been glued to your side for almost seven years now.” Shiro teases.

“So, what happens now?” Ryan asks, looking between the two of them.

“Well,” Keith says slowly, slinging an arm around Ryan’s shoulders. “We’ve been discussin’ that, and we’ve decided that, if you want to, we’d be willing to give this a go.”

“’This’?”

“This.” Keith gestures at the three of them again. “Us.”

“Are you saying, what, like, crazy kinky threesome sex?” Not that he would say no, god no. He’ll take whatever he can get.

“We would be willing to give a relationship a go, if that’s something you want.” Shiro clarifies quietly.

Ryan’s brain shorts out again. “But. You two are _married_.”

“Yes.” Keith shrugs. “We are, but humans are weird when it comes to life partners. Sometimes there’s more than one person you want to share your life with. It’s not terribly uncommon for Galra to have more than one bondmate. Or even for a bonded pair to add a third person after being bonded for a while. Love has no time limit.”

“So what, you,” Ryan hesitates. “You want to… date me?”

“Yes.” Shiro says, beaming. “If you’d asked me out before, I would have said yes in a heartbeat. And we could have seduced Keith together.”

“I’d have been a goner.” Keith promises, pressing his forehead against Ryan’s shoulder. “This is all your call, though, Ryan. If you’d rather try to just continue on as friends, we will honor that.”

“You’re insane if you think I’d ever say no to this.” Ryan whispers. “I thought, I thought I’d spend my entire life pining after the two of you. and now you’re telling me I don’t have to. I,” Fuck, is he crying? Shit. “I love you both _so much_.”

“Shh,” Keith murmurs, then tilts his head up and kisses him.

Keith is… a very good kisser, Ryan discovers. Shiro had not been kidding when he’d compared kissing Keith to a firestorm. He grunts a little in surprise, the force of Keith’s kiss knocking him off balance for a moment before he reaches up to tangle his fingers in the cowboy’s long hair, tugging sharply. That earns him a growl and sharp canines nipping at his lower lip. He could get used to this.

“Fuck, that’s hot.” Shiro says emphatically, and Keith and Ryan break apart, laughing. Shiro grins sheepishly, squirming in his position on the floor, and that’s when Ryan notices the familiar shape of Shiro’s erection beneath his shorts.

“Really?” He deadpans, and Keith laughs.

“Darlin’, I fucked you right before you went to work.” He teases. “Was that not enough?”

“Not _now_.” Shiro huffs. “Look, I know this is a big deal and something we should ease into slowly but you’ve both fucked me many _many_ times and watching the two of you make out was one of the hottest things I have ever seen and if you guys could just fuck me that, that would be great.”

“Good to know he’s still a whiny bottom.” Ryan huffs.

“Lord, you have no idea.” Keith grins, then stands, pulling Ryan to his feet. The two of them look down at Shiro, who’s the picture of submissive on his knees below them.

“What do ya think, Ry? Should we give him what he wants?”

A burst of warmth goes through his chest. “Yeah. I think we can manage that.”

They both reach down and tug Shiro to his feet, then they all stumble down the hall to the master bedroom, laughing the whole way.

~*~

Ryan is relatively sure he’s dreaming, because there’s no way Takashi Shirogane is lying beneath him, face buried in the sheets and ass in the air as he sinks three fingers into the other man. Sure, it’s a sight he’s seen before a hundred times, but not in years. The thing that makes the vision before him even more surreal is the fact that Keith is sitting on the edge of the bed, hand gripping Shiro’s hair tightly and murmuring filthy praise into his husband’s ear.

Unfortunately, Keith is still fully clothed whilst he and Shiro are very naked, but Ryan is willing to forgive that for the time being.

“Ryan,” Keith purrs, sitting up and yanking on Shiro’s hair even more, causing the man beneath them to cry out.

“Yeah?”

“C’mere.” Keith tugs him forwards and kisses him slowly. Fuck but Keith’s kisses are like flames, burning him from the inside out. He would be honored to go out like that, consumed by these men and their passion. “Keep him waiting for a few more minutes, hm?” Keith murmurs, then releases both Ryan’s chin and Shiro’s hair, standing from the bed and stripping off his customary flannel over-shirt.

Beneath it lies a tight white tank-top which is also removed and Ryan has seen Keith shirtless before, but now, now he really gets to _look_.

Keith may not be as broad as he and Shiro are, but there is obvious strength in the half-Galra’s body. Smooth pale skin covers hard muscles and an obvious six-pack. Woof. Farm work seems to be an amazing workout.

Keith catches him staring and smirks. “See something you like?”

It’s the stupidest, cheesiest pick-up line, but Ryan just nods. He’s sharing the marital bed of his two best friends who he’s in love with, he has no time to critique.

Keith’s grin widens, and his hands drift down to the front of his jeans, popping the button causally and dragging down the zipper. “I’m curious. Sweet tea, how much have you told Ryan about my Galra attributes?”

Shiro whines beneath him and Ryan suddenly remembers he’s been fingering the other man this whole time, apparently rubbing right at his prostate.

“Not, ngh, not anything specific,” Shiro pants, biting the sheets below him.

Keith hums and locks eyes with Ryan. “Well, then this is gonna be interesting.” Keith drops his pants and steps out of his underwear.

Huh. He’s heard of people’s erections turning purple before, but, that was _actual_ purple.

Keith raises an amused eyebrow as Ryan keeps staring (and possibly salivating). He crosses back over to the bed and sits against the headboard on his knees, combing his fingers through Shiro’s hair. “You ready for us, darlin’?”

“Yes,” Shiro sighs, wiggling his hips back against Ryan’s fingers. “Please.”

Keith smiles down at his husband, then glances up at Ryan. “You heard the man.”

Ryan smirks, feeling confident in his place here for the first time that evening as he slides his fingers out. If there’s one thing he knows how to do, it’s fucking Shiro until he’s screaming.

“Ry,” Shiro gasps, “Ryan, sweetheart, please, need you, missed you, _please_!”

Ryan shudders and leans over, grabbing the condom (an unfortunate necessity for the time being) and lube, rolling the latex down over his cock and slicking himself up as he mouths at the back of Shiro’s neck. “I’m here, Shiro. And I’m going to take care of you. _We’re_ going to take care of you.”

“I know,” Shiro sighs, moving easily as Keith guides him forwards so he’s nuzzling his husband’s thighs. “You always do.”

Ryan absolutely melts at that. He’s not used to _feelings_ playing a part in sex, but he thinks if this is how it feels, he can easily get used to it.

“You ready, darlin’?” Keith murmurs, running his fingers through Shiro’s hair and glancing up at Ryan.

“Yeah,” Shiro sighs and wiggles his hips again.

Ryan grips Shiro’s ass to still his movements, causing the other man to yelp and let out a strangled moan. “Ry…”

“I got you.” Ryan promises, then presses inside.

 _God_ , he’d almost forgotten how good Shiro feels wrapped around him. Even through the condom, Shiro’s body is so _hot_ and _tight_ and _perfect_ and fuck, Ryan had missed this, missed him, more than he’d realized.

Shiro sighs raggedly, relaxing around him and nuzzling into Keith’s thighs a little more, fingers digging into the sheets.

“Does he feel good, baby?” Keith murmurs, tugging on Shiro’s hair again.

“Yeah,” Shiro sighs. “Forgot how good he felt.”

Ryan huffs out a breath and leans over Shiro, pressing his face against the other man’s shoulder.

“You good, honey?” Keith asks quietly, and it’s not until he feels a hand in his hair that he realizes Keith had been addressing _him_.

“So good,” He chokes out, tilting his head up into Keith’s touch.

“Glad to hear it.” Keith purrs. “Now, think you can make him scream?”

Ryan looks up at the smirking cowboy with a smirk of his own. “I guarantee it.”

He sits back up and grips Shiro’s hips before pulling out halfway and slamming back in.

Shiro chokes, and Ryan does it again, and again, never slowing down or giving Shiro even a _second_ to adjust, just the way he likes it. He remembers how to fuck him, and damn it all if he’s not going to do so _perfectly_.

Sinful noises are spilling out of Shiro’s mouth which he tries to muffle against his husband’s thighs, but Keith isn’t having it, using his grip in Shiro’s hair to tug him back.

“Now Takashi,” He coos and Shiro whines as Ryan brushes his prostate. “You know better than that. If you _really_ want to gag yourself, there’s a much better way to do it.”

Shiro nods shakily and ducks his head, licking the angry purple head of Keith’s cock.

“Good boy,” Keith sighs, fingers relaxing in Shiro’s hair. “That’s it, baby, let me in. I’ll fuck your pretty throat while Ryan fucks your pretty ass.”

Shiro spasms at that, and Ryan groans, both at Shiro’s constricting muscles and at the mental image of Shiro being spit-roasted between them.

He watches as Shiro opens his mouth wide and sinks down on Keith’s cock, moans now muffled as Ryan continues to pound into him. Keith hums in approval and rocks his hips up, causing Shiro to choke a little. “Tap my thigh twice if you need me to stop, baby.” He murmurs. Shiro hums an affirmative, then Keith braces his thighs and thrusts up into Shiro’s throat.

This causes another whole-body spasm which then in turn causes Ryan to groan and snap his hips forwards even harder, which causes Shiro to moan again which sends pleasant vibrations through Keith’s dick, which makes him thrust up again. It’s a delicious cycle of pleasure and heat and Ryan is dizzy with it. Dizzy with _them_ , and how on Earth is it that he’s allowed to be here? To have this?

He sighs raggedly and leans forwards, kissing and nipping at Shiro’s neck. A hand cups the back of his neck and Ryan glances up to see Keith grinning down at him. He hums and sinks his teeth into the meat of Shiro’s shoulder, causing the man to _scream_ around Keith, and, shit, he can normally last longer than this but he already feels his end approaching.

“Shiro,” He murmurs, “Keith, I’m-”

“Fuck, me too,” Keith hisses. He reaches his free hand underneath Shiro and grips his dick, jerking his husband off quickly as he and Ryan hurtle towards orgasm.

Shiro still manages to come first from all the stimulation, but Ryan is right behind him, groaning quietly and digging his nails into Shiro’s skin as he comes.

Keith growls at the sight of them and thrusts up into Shiro’s throat twice more before he comes. Shiro drinks him down eagerly and Keith pets his hair, pulling away once he’s spent so Shiro can breathe.

“Come on, boys.” He sighs and slides out from under Shiro so he can push the two of them down onto their sides. Ryan grunts in discomfort as he slips out of Shiro, but sighs when he’s able to relax against the sheets. He tugs off the condom and ties it before setting it on the nightstand, closing his eyes and letting his breathing settle.

“Keith,” Shiro murmurs, and Ryan cracks open an eye to see that Keith has rolled Shiro onto his back and is pressing two fingers back into his red rim.

“I know one orgasm isn’t enough for you, darlin’.” Keith purrs. “Why don’t we put on a little show for Ryan, hm?”

“Yeah,” Shiro sighs, going easily when Keith turns him onto his side to face Ryan.

Ryan automatically wraps an arm around Shiro’s waist as the other man snuggles into his chest, sighing as Keith settles in behind him and pressing three fingers inside.

“Give him a kiss.” Keith coos, and Shiro tilts his head up to kiss Ryan.

He startles for a moment before relaxing into the movement, tightening his arm around Shiro’s waist and dipping his tongue between kiss-swollen lips. He tastes like his cherry lip-gloss and something strangely sweet, and Ryan can’t get enough of it.

Shiro makes a startled noise against his mouth followed by a long, sweet moan as Keith presses into him. Ryan shivers and his dick gives a valiant twitch as Shiro ruts up against him, already hard again.

Keith rocks into Shiro from behind and Ryan runs his hands over every part of Shiro he can reach, skating over scars and rubbing his thumbs across his peaked nipples. Shiro shivers violently and whimpers against his lips, his flesh hand coming up and flicking one of Ryan’s barbells in retaliation.

Ryan hisses and drags Shiro back in to another deep kiss, wedging his thigh between the other man’s legs so he can rut against him as his husband fucks into him. This time it’s slow and lazy, pleasure building gradually until even Ryan is hard again. Keith growls and bites Shiro’s neck, causing him to cry out and break his and Ryan’s kiss.

Ryan just smirks, kisses his forehead, and slides a hand between them, taking them both in his fist and stroking languidly in time with Keith’s thrusts.

“Ry,” Shiro gasps, curling one hand behind Ryan’s head and reaching back to cup Keith’s with the other. “Keith, I, I’m,”

“Come for us, Shiro.” Ryan murmurs.

“We’ve got you, baby, just let go.” Keith hums.

Shiro sighs as he lets his orgasm wash over him, thrusting up lazily into Ryan’s hand. The warmth of Shiro spilling between them has Ryan moaning and coming not long after. Keith purrs – actually purrs – and watches them with hooded eyes that are looking a little yellow (wow), nuzzling into Shiro’s shoulder and grunting as he too comes.

They all lay there in the quiet for a moment, just breathing, before Keith groans and sits up. “Be right back.” He mumbles and staggers out of bed towards the bathroom.

“Are you okay, Ryan?” Shiro whispers, and Ryan glances down to see Shiro peering up at him worriedly.

“I’m fantastic.” He says honestly, trailing his fingers up and down Shiro’s side. “I’m not completely sure this is real, but even if it’s not, this has been the best night of my life.”

“It’s real, sweetheart.” Shiro whispers and kisses the corner of his mouth.

“I hope so.” Ryan sighs, glancing down between them. He hopes Keith brings back a damp cloth. They’re both filthy.

He frowns when he sees something shining between Shiro’s thighs and shoves them apart, causing Shiro to yelp. “Ry?”

“Is that liquid glitter?” He says incredulously. But no, it’s leaking out of Shiro’s stretched rim. The hell?

Shiro giggles. “Close enough.” He coos.

Ryan reaches down and scoops some of the glimmering white liquid onto his finger, bringing it back up to his face and examining it closely.

“Is this what I think it is?”

“Yup.” Keith drawls, popping the p as he crawls back onto the sheets, reaching around to wipe off Shiro’s stomach. “That’s Galra jizz.”

“Jesus Christ, no wonder Shiro married you. He has an endless supply of liquid glitter.” Ryan mutters.

Keith laughs at that and reaches over to tug on one of Ryan’s nipple piercings, causing him to yelp. “Watch it, sunshine.” The cowboy teases.

Ryan huffs and examines Keith’s come again. He kinda wants to lick it. So he does.

Holy shit.

“It’s not liquid glitter, it’s liquid _sugar_ holy shit.” He mumbles.

“I know, right?” Shiro says giddily. “And you wonder why I love blowing him so much. It’s like dessert without the carbs!”

“Both a ya’ll are terrible.” Keith huffs, but leans over to wipe Ryan off as well.

Ryan snorts and examines something else on Shiro’s thigh, under said glitter-come. “That’s a new scar.” He muses, raising an eyebrow. There are a set of teeth marks on Shiro’s inner thigh. “I don’t recall seeing that before, even at the club tonight.”

Shiro blushes and fidgets a little as Keith finishes cleaning him up. “I put concealer on it at the club.” He mumbles. “It’s, private.”

Ryan raises an eyebrow.

“It’s his mating mark.” Keith explains, tossing the washcloth aside and holding a hand out. Ryan turns and grabs the discarded condom which Keith then takes and drops into the trash can.

“Mating mark?”

“Yep.” Keith gestures at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, and Ryan sees that the cowboy has his own set of teeth marks. “Shiro and I are bonded by Galra law as well, meaning we bit each other to stake our claim.”

“Kinky.” Ryan deadpans and Shiro giggles. “So it’s like the Galra version of exchanging rings?” He asks Keith, who nods.

“Yeah, it’s what cements a bond between two Galra. Or three, as I mentioned before.”

“So if we do this, I’m gonna have to get bitten too?” he muses.

Keith grins at him and kisses the tip of his nose. “Only if you marry us.”

While Ryan sputters about that, Keith shoves them around a little so he can pull down the covers and situate them underneath, then leans over and flicks off the light. “Sleep, you little hellions.”

“Your little hellions.” Shiro coos, throwing an arm across Ryan’s hips.

“Yeah.” Keith sighs. “Mine.”

Ryan stays awake long after the other two have fallen asleep, thinking about that.

Theirs. He’s theirs. Fuck, even if this is a dream, he’ll treasure those words for the rest of his life.

He closes his eyes.

~*~

He wakes to the smell of bacon and eggs and soft hair tickling his nose.

He sits up a little only to find he can’t. Shiro is using his arm as a pillow and is still fast asleep.

Fuck, it wasn’t a dream. He had sex with Keith and Shiro last night. They wanted to _date_ him.

He lays back down and stares at the ceiling. Holy shit.

The door clicks open quietly, and Ryan looks up to see Keith backing into the room carrying a tray of food. He beams at Ryan when he catches his eye and walks over, setting the tray on the side table and climbing back into the bed.

“Mornin’, angel.” He coos, then leans down to kiss Ryan gently.

He sighs into it and reaches up to cup the back of Keith’s head. Between them, Shiro stirs, then hums happily.

“What a lovely thing to wake up to.” He teases. “And baby! Breakfast in bed!”

Keith grins as he pulls away and swings the tray into his lap. “Yep. We expended a lot of energy last night, so I figured a hardy breakfast was in order.”

“So we can turn right around and lose it again?” Shiro asks hopefully.

“Possibly.” Keith hums, then winks at Ryan.

Ryan watches Keith and Shiro bicker about the amount of carbs on the platter and finds himself grinning like a lunatic.

Yes, this is real.

**Author's Note:**

> I have an AU with lots of Galra Culture so I sprinkled some of my own Galra HCs into this. I hope tofu doesn’t mind. I also have another AU where certain creatures have glittery come that is super sweet, so I just added that in for the hell of it. Whoops.  
> For the record this is not the last Yeehaw/Rowdy/Glitterhaws fic I plan to write because dammit this AU has my soul. So, expect more of these disaster boys in the future, I guess.


End file.
